Here in my USDA Hardiness Zone 6a garden in central Indiana, spring has been cold, and wet, and slow moving.

I like the slow moving part because it has stretched out the bloom of the garden, both in making some flowers, like tulips, last longer, and in making other flowers, like columbine, bloom later.

At least we've not gotten any frosts for a while, so that's good!

Today, rather than taking you on a heading spinning walk around the garden to see dianthus, tulips, alliums, columbines, Spanish bluebells, hardy ground orchids, camassia, irises, blue dogbane, and even a few clematis in bloom, I thought we could just relax and focus in on the columbine and allium.

First up is columbine. In my garden most of them are the non-native Aquilegia vulgaris and many of them are double-triple petaled frilly things which brings to mind their other common name, Granny's Bonnets.

Many years ago, and by many I mean 20 years ago, I planted out some seedlings of 'Blue Tower' and 'Pink Tower' and most of the columbine blooming today are seedlings from those that have sown themselves about the garden.

What's nice about them is they've crossed and crossed and crossed amongst themselves so I can't rightly say that I have any of the original cultivars today.

But they are pretty no matter the color.

I also have a few that are more typical of a variety known as 'McKana Giant', which are also probably seedlings of the original plants I bought a few years ago.

Somewhere out there in the garden, I also have a yellow columbine, but I haven't seen it this year. It sometimes blooms later so I'm still hopeful and waiting for. Isn't that how gardening is sometimes? We are hopeful. We are waiting.

And there are some native columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, in the garden, but I forgot to look for them when I was out taking pictures!

You can't go wrong with any columbine. They are free and easy in my garden, coming up all over from seeds. But I don't mind. If they show up where I don't want them, I just pull out the seedlings which aren't deep rooted at all.

Moving on, the alliums are jumping up all over the garden.

They are nice and bright and make for some good focal points while the rest of the garden continues its slow march toward summer.

What's blooming in your garden on the 15th of this month? It's easy to join in for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day and show us. Just post on your blog about the blooms in your garden and then leave a comment below to tell us what you have and a link in the Mr. Linky widget to tell us how to get to your blog.

And always remember,

We can have flowers nearly every month of the year. ~ Elizabeth Lawrence

My columbines all drowned in last year's and this year's floods in the garden, but we are making progress in ameliorating the floods. Even so, we do have some blooms, and we even have sun this morning. It is a delight to see all the other blooming gardens. Thank you Carol!

How I wish Alliums did as well in my garden! I planted dozens last year in a fit of wishful thinking. Thus far, only one has made a return appearance, despite the good amount of rain we got for a change this past winter. Thanks, as always, for hosting GBBD, Carol.

Happy spring days ...Lovely collection of Columbine and aquilegia ...We are not fortunate in weather to grow them in our region...We are into Summers and scorching heat has already withered off our spring flowers long back .Have a great week ahead .

Hello everyone! I have neglected reading my favorite blogs because it is May! Who wants to be inside when being outside is a fantastic choice. Today it is raining so that's the only reason to be inside.Jeannie@GetMetoTheCountry

Happy Bloom Day!I love your alliums. I have seedling alliums, and now I've gotten where they are and what is what all mixed up. At least they are all ornamental. Except the Welsh onion, but I did grow it for the flowers, so that's okay too.I wish I had a place columbine would like. It's so pretty, and I love how they cross themselves into new colors. Sounds fun!

Carol, My spring, like yours, has been cold, wet and slow moving. Unlike Indiana, however, where these conditions have made blooms last longer, in Maine, they have mostly kept things from blooming. Still, I have some blooms to show and both all the buds I can see and your beautiful flowers give me hope that an abundance of spring flowers will eventually get here.